This invention relates in general to database access by a client and, more particularly, to such access carried out through a network within which information is transmitted within digital message units.
During recent years, the number of different types of databases in active use has been expanding, including recent popularity of databases conforming to the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). Other types of databases include large scale relational databases. Unfortunately, each of these types of database tends to have its own protocol for access. A further development is that, with the rapid expansion of the Internet and other types of computer networks, more and more of these databases are becoming available by network. However, due to the wide variety of protocols needed to access these various databases, it is difficult for any single application program to have all of the intelligence needed to handle all of these protocols and thus communicate with most or all of these types of databases.
In this regard, one type of device which has been growing in popularity is the Internet protocol (IP) telephone, which is coupled to and effects its telephony functions through a computer network. It is desirable that client devices such as these telephones be able to access much of the data present in the databases which are now available by network. However, it is not always practical for this class of devices to have the intelligence needed to handle a wide variety of different protocols corresponding to a variety of different databases.
From the foregoing, it may be appreciated that a need has arisen for a method and apparatus by which a client can access a repository through a network, where the client uses a protocol different from a protocol specific to the repository. According to the present invention, a method and apparatus are provided to address this need, and involve: providing a network through which can be transmitted message units that contain information in a digital form; transmitting from a client through the network a message which is in the form of at least one message unit and which contains a request directed to a repository, the request being in a first format conforming to a public network communication protocol; receiving the request from the network; thereafter converting the request from the first format to a second format compatible with a protocol of the repository; using the request in the second format to access the repository and obtain from the repository a response to the request, the response being in the second format; converting the response from the second format to the first format; and transmitting through the network to the client a further message which is in the form of at least one message unit and which contains the response in the second format.